


Teammates

by multilefaiye



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: (for the most part), Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, Clint Barton Needs a Hug, Everyone Needs A Hug, Female Obi-Wan Kenobi, Female Tony Stark, Friendship, Gen, Mentioned Anakin Skywalker, Mentioned Padmé Amidala, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Self-Hatred, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, The Avengers (2012) Compliant, Thor Needs a Hug (Marvel), Threats of Violence, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Trans Obi-Wan Kenobi, Trans Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:42:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29625822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/multilefaiye/pseuds/multilefaiye
Summary: Amid all the chaos of capturing Loki and searching for the Tesseract before it was too late, there wasn't much time for idle conversation. Still, Beth Keegan, a SHIELD agent with a mysterious past who was chosen for the Avengers Initiative, seemed to find plenty of time to talk to her new teammates, to learn more about them and the situation they were all in. And, perhaps, the others learned about her as well.
Comments: 32
Kudos: 27





	1. Bruce Banner

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a hot minute since I saw the original Avengers movie (or, honestly, anything with Obi-Wan), so please forgive any issues with characterization!
> 
> I'll get back to my other WIPs eventually, I promise,,,, just,,,,,,,, hopping back into an AU I came up with a few years ago and then never really did anything with. This is basically going to be a few little scenes exploring Obi-Wan's relationships with the original Avengers (at least in the MCU; while I do love the later additions to the team, I figured I'd focus just on the originals so I wouldn't get overwhelmed), revealing bits and pieces about how this AU works and Obi-Wan's backstory in this 'verse. They take place at different places in the timeline of the first movie, and they may not necessarily be in order.
> 
> I don't think I'll write a larger story for this AU, but hey who knows where the wind'll take me! For now, I hope you like this <3!
> 
> (Also, yes, Toni and Obi-Wan are both trans women in this fic, and that will come up in Toni's chapter--please be respectful of that!)

Bruce just wanted to be left alone.

He’d only gone with SHIELD because they’d threatened him, threatened the life he had built for himself, and he was regretting that decision more and more by the minute. Sure, he was interested in this Tesseract and the scepter they’d taken from Loki, but that didn’t mean he was exactly  _ excited _ to be there.

After the first meeting with the other so-called Avengers, Bruce holed himself up in the Helicarrier’s extensive lab. Part of him was impressed with it, but the rest of him would never admit it. At first, the others followed him, but it wasn’t long before they all filed out. Perhaps in other circumstances, he wouldn’t mind them, might even be friends with them, but at this moment he was just relieved they were giving him some peace.

After Stark left, bickering with Rogers the whole while, Bruce was left alone with Loki’s scepter. Even under the bright lights of the lab, it almost seemed to be glowing, and he paused in his work to stare at it for a long moment, almost mesmerized.

It truly was a scientific wonder, he thought. He could understand why SHIELD was so interested in it, much as he distrusted the organization and anything to do with it. Unconsciously, he found himself reaching towards it. It wouldn’t hurt, just to hold it for a moment--

Bruce was jolted out of his thoughts by the sound of the door to the lab opening, and he quickly retracted his hand and looked up.

In walked Beth Keegan, her long, auburn hair pulled up into a bun, wearing a long-sleeved, cream-colored shirt, black pants, and knee-high boots. She had a curious expression on her scarred face as her grey eyes darted around with interest. Internally, Bruce groaned.

“Keegan,” he greeted with a nod. Her eyes fell on him and she smiled, making her way over.

“I thought I would find you here,” she said in that strange, lilting accent of hers. Something inside Bruce twisted uncomfortably.

It wasn’t that he didn’t  _ like _ Keegan, or even the other Avengers, but her familiarity with him unnerved him. It was the same with Toni--both women seemed simultaneously eager to get to know him and completely unafraid of him. And that scared him.

“What are you working on?” Keegan asked, oblivious to his thoughts. Her hands rested casually on her hips as she regarded the scepter, a cautious sort of curiosity on her face. Bruce looked away from her and down at the tablet in his hands, though the readings on the screen didn’t register.

“I’m trying to figure out what’s going on with this scepter,” he explained stiffly. He was surprised she didn’t already know, but then again perhaps she was simply asking to make conversation.

Keegan hummed, then turned her attention away from the scepter to look at him, as though it wasn’t anything particularly interesting. She leaned her hip against the table and stared at him thoughtfully. Bruce bristled at the feeling of her eyes on him.

“Can I help you?” he asked, glancing up in her direction.

“I just want to talk,” she said with a shrug. Her smile had fallen, replaced with a more neutral expression that Bruce couldn’t decipher. “And I wanted to apologize on behalf of the rest of our… team. I can only imagine how stressful all the arguing must be.”

Bruce clenched his fist and looked back down. He could tell she was being genuine, and he certainly  _ appreciated _ the apology, but her presence wasn’t helping him feel any better. He couldn’t explain it, but he felt strangely… tense, and not in the way that he was used to. Having the others around him only made it worse.

“It certainly isn’t helping,” he said finally, his voice thin and strained. Keegan hummed and shifted slightly. For a long moment, they both were quiet.

“I’ll talk to them,” she suddenly said with a resolution that surprised him. Despite himself, Bruce snorted.

“Don’t know what you’ll be able to do,” he said drily. Keegan chuckled a little, and the sound caught his attention. He looked back up at her incredulously and saw she was smirking.

“Well, if nothing else, I can at least distract them so you can have some peace,” she said with another wink. Bruce narrowed his eyes slightly and didn’t reply. Keegan’s smirk faltered and she cleared her throat.

“I understand--” she started.

“I doubt you do,” Bruce cut in sharply.

Keegan shot him a look and continued, “I understand that you may not want to talk and that you prefer to be alone, but we’re supposed to be a team now. We may as well get to know each other.”

Bruce grimaced and shot her a look of his own. “I never agreed to be part of a  _ team _ ,” he told her. “I’m just here to help find the Tesseract. Nothing more.” Internally, he was screaming at Keegan to see the danger before her, to understand that if she kept poking and prodding that something bad would happen.

He saw a flash of something in her eyes, but she didn’t make any move to leave. Her brows creased and she sighed.

“Dr. Banner," she said, "I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do, but while we’re here together we need to be able to  _ work _ as a team, even if we aren’t one.”

Bruce didn’t reply, avoiding Keegan’s eyes. She stared at him for a long moment before she spoke again.

“What are you afraid of?” she asked. Bruce laughed humorlessly and leveled her with a bitter grin.

“Don’t play dumb, Keegan,” he sneered. “You know very well what happens when I get angry, when I lose control.” There was still no fear in Keegan’s expression.

“You wouldn’t hurt me,” she said with confidence.” Bruce looked away and sighed, running a shaky hand through his curly hair.

“You don’t know that,” he pointed out. “Any moment, I could get too angry and  _ he _ could take control and kill everyone here.”

“I don’t think that’ll happen.” Keegan smiled. “You’re not a monster, Dr. Banner.”

“You don’t know that. You don’t know  _ him _ .”

“Maybe not,” she conceded. “But I’ve seen monsters before. And I know you’re not one of them.”

“We’ll see if you’re still feeling that way when he crushes your goddamn skull,” Bruce spat bitterly. No matter how he felt about Keegan, or any of the others, if he lost control the other guy would destroy them if they got too close. It was a fact of life.

Keegan was quiet for a minute, then she said with surprising gentleness, “You’re not a monster. I mean it.” Before he could reply, she held up a finger to cut him off and continued. “If you were a monster, you wouldn’t be trying to control yourself. We would all be dead.”

“Doesn’t mean the other guy isn’t,” Bruce said, avoiding her gaze. He hated that part of him was hopeful, believed she was telling the truth… that she wasn’t just trying to make him feel better. He hated even more that it was almost working.

“I don’t know about that,” Keegan said. She sighed. “I won’t pretend to understand your struggles, Dr. Banner, and I won’t pretend to know his either. But I don’t believe either of you are monsters.”

Bruce snorted in disbelief, but he didn’t protest. If she wanted to believe there was good in him, in the  _ thing _ inside him, then that was her problem.

He could hear the smile in her voice as she added, “Besides, I doubt a monster would’ve agreed to help us.”

“I wasn’t exactly given a choice,” Bruce told her, but the words didn’t have the weight behind him that he’d hoped. He looked up to meet Keegan’s gaze, and he was surprised at the open concern and understanding he saw there. Before he could say anything else, she spoke again.

“I’m sorry,” she said. She shifted slightly, almost uncomfortably. “I know we don’t know each other, but… I mean what I said, Dr. Banner.” She smiled. “And, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get to know you better, even if you don’t want to be part of the team.”

“Your funeral,” Bruce replied, and he surprised himself when he didn’t outright reject her. Friendship was strange to him now, something he hadn’t experienced in years, so to be offered it so openly was… uncomfortable, but not entirely unpleasant.

Keegan chuckled. “Maybe,” she said, “but I doubt it.” She straightened, then, and stood up. It was only then that it fully registered with Bruce that she was taller than him, even if only by a little bit.

“I’ll leave you in peace now,” she said with a playful grin. “And I’ll make sure to talk to the others about giving you some peace as well.” And with a respectful nod, Beth Keegan turned and left the lab.

For a long moment, Bruce stared after her. Then he shook his head and glanced back at the scepter. May as well get back to work, he supposed.

As he went back to his tablet, checking over the readings, he thought about what Keegan had said. He couldn’t tell if she genuinely meant what she said, if she really thought he wasn’t a monster, if she really wanted to be friends, but… he found he didn’t exactly hate the idea. It was nice, having someone believe in him like that. Even if it was strange.

And, well, if Keegan got the others to stop bothering him while he worked, then that was just a bonus.


	2. Steve Rogers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW chapter two in only a few days,,,,,,,,,,, those of you who know me should know that this isn't usual for me, so don't expect this pattern to continue or for me to be anything near consistent with updating this.
> 
> Anyway, thank you guys for reading!!! I really appreciate the support <3 I do wanna say something I mentioned in the first chapter's note but I didn't go into much, is that everyone's probably gonna be a *little* out of character here, mainly because this is an AU, but also because I've only just started my rewatch of the original Avengers movie and I'm trying to get a handle on the characters again. I hope it's not too off-putting for you guys <3
> 
> Also, because I'm a little paranoid, I do wanna make it clear that I'm not writing these characters based on how much I like them! I love the whole original group and I'm just trying my best to write how I think they would act in this particular scenario with this particular character.

Steve had been thinking about it since he first met Agent Keegan.

As a SHIELD agent, he knew she had specialized training, even more so if she had been chosen for the Avengers Initiative, but that didn’t explain the way she stood, the way she walked. She often had a rigid set to her stance, her shoulders squared and her back straight and stiff. Not only that, but the burn scars on her face told him that she’d been through something awful, and it wasn’t hard to put the two together.

Perhaps it didn’t matter, but to Steve it was obvious: Agent Keegan had the stance of a soldier, and that coupled with her scars only made it clearer to him that she had to have served somewhere.

He meant to bring it up sooner, but in the chaos of capturing Loki, there wasn’t time. It wasn’t until they were all on the Helicarrier and had a moment to  _ breathe _ that he had a chance.

As Steve made his way onto the bridge, he found Agent Keegan standing there, lounging against a wall. She seemed relaxed, but the stiff posture was still there as she looked around the room with her steely, grey-blue eyes. The way she glanced around, she almost looked unimpressed with what she was looking at, but Steve supposed he could be mistaken.

_ Well, now or never _ , he thought as he walked towards her. He’d been meaning to get to know her anyway--unlike some other members of this new ‘team’, she at least seemed agreeable. Hopefully, this would help to at least break the ice.

“Agent Keegan,” he greeted her as she approached. Agent Keegan looked up at him as though startled, but she recovered quickly enough and smiled at him. Her smile pulled at the angry, red burn scars on her face in a way that looked painful, but she gave no indication that it hurt.

“Captain Rogers,” she replied politely. Then, a smirk as she added, “There’s no need for formalities--you can call me Beth, you know. We are on the same team, after all.”

Steve chuckled. “Then you can call me Steve if you want, Beth.” She laughed.

“Steve it is,” she said with a decisive nod.

“Mind if I join you?” he asked. She nodded again, and he leaned against the wall beside her, making sure to leave a respectful few feet between them. For a long moment, the two were quiet, simply looking out as the other SHIELD agents worked tirelessly around them. Then, Steve finally asked.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” he began, “where did you serve?” Beth looked over at him in confusion, and he quickly elaborated, “I’m sorry; I’m not trying to pry. It’s just… you look like a soldier. I was just curious.”

Beth was quiet for a moment and looked away, clearly thinking about her answer. Steve immediately felt bad--he knew what war did to people, and it was clear that whatever Beth had been involved in must’ve been something bad to leave such violent scarring. Before he could say anything else, though, she sighed and spoke.

“I suppose I couldn’t keep it a secret,” she said with a slight chuckle. She turned to look up at Steve, the smile back on her face. “You’re right, I was… a soldier, of sorts. But I was only involved in a small, contained civil war in a land I doubt you've heard of.” Beth paused. “Not an insult to your intelligence, of course, it’s just… not exactly well known. I'd be surprised if it was even reported on, besides in the regions involved."

“War is never contained,” Steve pointed out. Part of him wondered what she meant--he hadn’t exactly  _ excelled _ in geography, but he wasn’t stupid, and he was sure he’d at least know the general area if she told him.

“True enough,” she hummed. She seemed almost nervous as she glanced up at him then quickly back out at the room.

Beth turned to fully face the room now, crossing her arms and leaning back fully against the wall. He could tell this wasn’t a conversation she wanted to be having, and truthfully he felt bad for prying, even if he was just curious. When Beth didn’t speak up again, Steve decided it was only fair he offer some information of his own, even if she probably already knew all about him.

“I served in Europe,” he said. Beth turned her head to look at him again, her expression guarded but curious. “I, well… I missed most of the war, but I’m told that we won.” He shifted slightly, crossing his own arms. “My war wasn’t as ‘contained’ as yours, though--I hear we’re calling it a world war, now.”

Beth smiled, though it was a little strained. “I believe I’ve heard of that one,” she said, her voice teasing. Her smile faltered, and she looked away once more. “I… I know I’m being vague, and I apologize, but it’s not something I like to talk about.” She swallowed. “My… brother and his wife were casualties in the end. The wounds are still fresh.”

Steve winced, and despite himself he reached out and rested a hand on Beth’s shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. She glanced back up at him in surprise and tensed for a brief moment, but she made no move to pull away.

“I’m sorry,” Steve said. “I shouldn’t have pried.”

“It’s alright,” Beth replied with a small, pained smile. “You had no way of knowing, after all.” Steve withdrew his hand, and the two went back to their comfortable silence. A long minute passed before either of them spoke again.

“I lost someone, too,” Steve told her softly. He paused and sighed, reaching up to rub the back of his neck with a hand. “Well, a lot of someones, actually, but… I lost my best friend.” His heart clenched as he spoke, the words heavy in his chest.

He hadn’t had time to grieve when it happened, but now that he was alone in the 21st century without his best friend, his protector, his first love… well, some days it felt like all he could do was grieve. Still, he hadn’t told anyone about what happened. Nearly everyone knew the story anyhow, but no one knew how much it affected him, how the wounds still stung with a viciousness.

This was the first time he’d actually told anyone about Bucky, he realized. Why would he, when everyone already knew? But… somehow, telling a stranger, someone who, against all odds, didn’t know, or at least was pretending not to, felt  _ good _ . It didn’t make the pain go away, but it felt good to release some of it.

“I… we knew each other since we were kids, y’know? He was always there for me, and then I couldn’t be there for him when he needed me most. And now he’s gone.” Unbidden, tears began to bead at the corners of his eyes, but he blinked them away.

A hand came to rest on his shoulder, and he glanced over to see Beth looking at him with such understanding his heart only hurt more.

“I’m sorry,” Beth said gently.

“If I’d been faster, I-I could’ve saved him.” The words tumbled out of Steve’s mouth before he could stop them. “If I…”

“We all think that in hindsight,” Beth spoke, squeezing his shoulder the same way he had hers. She looked down and sighed, her eyes growing dark. “I could’ve saved my brother if I’d only been quicker. I could’ve saved his wife.”

Steve reached up to rest a hand on Beth’s, a silent gesture of comfort. She took a deep breath and looked back up at him. Her deep blue-grey eyes were full of the same grief Steve could feel in himself, and there was a hardness to them that he recognized.

“But war doesn’t work that way,” she finished. “We just… have to move forward. Live our lives the best we can and honor their memory. It’s all we can do.”

Another moment passed, and Steve and Beth both withdrew their hands. Beth re-crossed her arms, while Steve allowed his own to hang loosely at his side. He looked over at her, studying her features.

Beth was a tall woman, certainly, though still shorter than him by a few inches. She had pale skin smattered with freckles and long, auburn hair, currently pulled up into a loose bun. Her nose pointed down and had a slight hook to it, and the bridge of it was crooked as though it had been broken more than a few times. Faint wrinkles lined her face, especially under her eyes.

Most striking were her scars. She had a large burn along the right side of her jaw, a long, diagonal slash across her face, and a smaller burn at her left temple that reached under her hairline. Steve couldn’t even imagine what might’ve caused such wounds, but he knew it wasn’t his place to ask.

Instead, he asked, “What were their names?” A beat. “If you don’t mind me asking, of course.”

Beth pursed her lips in thought, clearly deciding how to answer. Finally, she spoke again. “Their names were Anakin and Padmé.”

“Those are nice names,” Steve commented. Though he thought the names a little strange, he didn't say so aloud.

"What was your friend's name?" Beth asked softly.

"His name was James," Steve replied, "but I always called him Bucky.”

“That’s a nice name,” she said. She chuckled, lips quirked into an amused smirk. “Is there a story behind the nickname?”

“Not particularly,” he said, giving a small chuckle of his own. “His middle name was Buchanan--we came up with it when we were kids. We thought it was very clever.”

“I think it is,” Beth said, that amused smile still on her face. “Certainly better than some nicknames  _ I _ had when I was younger.”

“Oh?” Steve glanced at her curiously, an amused smile on his own face.

“Remind me to tell you about them sometime,” she remarked with a playful wink. Before Steve could respond, one of the other SHIELD agents called her name and she looked up. “Looks like that’s my cue.” She stepped away from the wall and shot him a gentle smile.

“It was good talking to you, Steve,” she said. “I look forward to working with you.”

And with that, she turned and walked away. As he watched her go, Steve realized that he was looking forward to working with her, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have Beth refer to Anakin as her brother because that's how I personally interpret their relationship--they're like siblings, even with the big age difference. Also, hate to reduce Padmé down to being just Anakin's wife, but I figure that Beth wouldn't want to go too much into this.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed <3


	3. Thor Odinson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW WE ARE BLAZIN THROUGH.... I'm shocked at myself with how fast I'm updating this. I can't promise I'll be able to keep this up, but I'm having a lot of fun writing this so who knows!
> 
> Thank you once again for reading! I really appreciate the support <33 Once again, I would like to apologize for any inaccuracies with characterization--I had a little trouble wrangling Thor as a character, but I tried my best with him.
> 
> Also, as a note, this chapter takes place immediately after Toni's chapter, which is coming up next. I just wanted to make that clear!
> 
> Also also, one last note--while this little series of oneshots is going to have references to certain ships, it won't feature any prominently (especially not prominently enough for me to really feel comfortable tagging them, BUT if anyone feels like I should regardless please let me know). The focus here is going to be on platonic relationships, and just me exploring what Beth's relationships with her teammates would be like in this AU. If I write this up as a full AU, it may feature some romantic relationships, but that's something to figure out for another day. I'm not trying to imply any romance with these oneshots, just wanna make that clear. [thumbs up emoji]
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Thor hadn’t expected any of this when he came to collect Loki from Midgard.

He had known it would not be an easy quest, especially when he learned of Loki’s actions against the people of Earth, but he had not expected them to be so involved in his brother’s capture. He understood why they were wary, of course, and he understood the power of the Tesseract, but he understood not why they were so insistent on keeping Loki in their care until they found it.

After his confrontation with the Captain and the Queen of Iron, he decided the best way to approach this was to go along with their demands for now. After all, as the protector of Earth, it was important that he stay on good terms with those who lived there. Even if they were a petty, squabbling bunch with no clear goal.

What he expected least of all, however, was to find another being not of Midgard among them.

It wasn’t obvious, especially to those who didn’t know exactly what to look for, but the signs were there. She certainly looked and spoke like a Midgardian, but… her accent, her mannerisms, the air of  _ something _ about her that reminded him of _seidr_ … Thor was no fool, and to him, it was clear as day: Lady Keegan was not a Midgardian.

He had intended to speak to her about it as soon as possible, and it wasn’t long before he found his opportunity.

Lady Keegan was exiting the area of the airship designated as the laboratory when Thor found her, a distinctly distressed expression on her face and her arms crossed. She glanced up as he approached, and in her eyes, he saw a flash of something almost like wariness before she schooled her expression into careful neutrality.

“Lady Keegan,” he greeted her with a polite smile.

“Prince Thor,” she replied with a polite nod. That was another thing--the other Midgardians made little effort to refer to him by his title, as he was no prince of theirs. Yet Lady Keegan had done so every time he interacted with her, or else called him “your grace.”

“I would like to speak with you,” Thor said, blunt and honest as always. The wariness returned to Lady Keegan’s eyes for a brief moment, but she quickly replaced it with a smile.

“Of course,” she said. Lady Keegan glanced behind her as though looking into the laboratory, then back to Thor and added, “Though, perhaps not here.” Before Thor could question her, she asked, “Why don’t we take a walk?”

Thor blinked at her, then nodded in agreement. The relief in her answering smile was not lost on him. Silently, he wondered if something had happened, but he supposed there may have simply been another argument. It certainly seemed like these Midgardians were fond of those.

Almost reflexively, Thor offered his arm to Lady Keegan, as was proper. She glanced up at him hesitantly, smile faltering as her brow furrowed in confusion. Thor got the message and lowered his arm, offering her an apologetic smile of his own.

“My apologies,” he said. “I do not wish to make you uncomfortable, Lady Keegan, I simply wish to talk.”

“It’s quite alright,” Lady Keegan replied as the two began to walk down the long hallway. “I’m simply not… used to such gestures.” She cleared her throat as though embarrassed, though she recovered quickly enough.

For a moment, they walked in silence. Lady Keegan had her arms behind her back, her posture rigid and her expression once again carefully neutral. Thor, meanwhile, walked with his arms by his sides, his own expression curious as he glanced over at her.

Finally, Lady Keegan spoke. “What did you want to talk about?”

Thor thought for a moment on how to respond. He had never been particularly tactful, but he knew this situation required it. After all, if Lady Keegan intended to live undetected among the Midgardians, then she likely would not react well to Thor calling attention to her like this.

So, he spoke as carefully as he could manage. “I understand that you are not from this region,” he said. Lady Keegan stiffened and came to a stop. Thor stopped next to her.

“That’s true,” she said, shooting him a wary glance.

“I wish to know where you are from,” Thor explained, offering her a smile. Lady Keegan studied him for a long moment as he continued. “I mean you no harm, Lady Keegan. I am simply curious.”

Lady Keegan took a deep breath, as though steeling her nerves, before she glanced around. The pair were alone, with no others in sight, Midgardian or otherwise. When she seemed confident no one else was there, she turned her attention back to Thor. There was pain in her eyes that surprised him, but her expression was still neutral.

“Where I’m from doesn’t matter,” she said, “as my world is long gone.” She took a deep breath. “But… you are correct, Prince Thor--I am not from Earth.”

The words hung heavy in the air for a long moment as the two stared each other down. Eventually, Thor broke the silence.

“What brings you here?” he asked softly.

Lady Keegan sighed. “My world is gone,” she said, “and so is my family. I came here because I had no other choice.” She took another breath and looked up at Thor.

“I know you are the protector of this world,” she said, “and I promise you that I am no threat to it. We… I… it’s my home now, and I will do what I can to protect it.”

Thor considered her words for a moment, then shot her a warm smile. He reached out a hand and clasped her shoulder, giving it a firm but gentle squeeze before withdrawing it.

“I cannot say that I understand,” he began, “but I promise you I will not tell the others your secret. And I thank you for working alongside us, Lady Keegan.”

Lady Keegan chuckled, smiling back at him. There was still pain in her eyes, but it disappeared quickly as she met his gaze.

“Of course,” she replied. “It’s an honor to work alongside you and the others, your grace.”

Thor couldn’t help it--he laughed, full-bodied and light in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time.

“You do not have to address me as such,” he told her with a mirthful, slightly bashful grin. “I am no prince of yours.”

“I am just being respectful,” Lady Keegan said with a playful grin of her own. “Though, if you insist, then I ask that you call me Beth.”

“Lady Beth, then,” Thor decided. Lady Beth looked as though she was going to argue, but she ultimately seemed to decide against it.

Instead, she dipped her head politely and asked, “Shall we continue our walk?”

“Of course,” Thor replied. Once again purely on reflex, he held out his arm to her again. She paused for a moment, before she curled her hand around his forearm, allowing him to tuck her hand into the crook of his elbow as they walked.

They walked in comfortable silence through the airship, avoiding the more populated areas to the best of their ability. It was nice, peaceful even. Some time passed before Lady Beth spoke again, glancing up at Thor with curiosity shining in her eyes.

“I actually have been looking to speak with you as well, Thor,” she said. Thor looked down at her in interest.

“What did you wish to discuss?” he said.

She hesitated briefly before she asked, “The man they have in the hold… he is your brother, yes?”

Thor’s expression hardened slightly and he paused. “Yes,” he said. “Why do you ask?”

“I’m just curious,” Lady Beth assured him with a soft smile. “I mean no harm to either of you. I was just wondering… could you tell me about him?”

Thor stared at her in confusion for a moment before he averted his gaze. “I’m certain the others could tell you quite a lot about him.”

“Sure, they very well could, but they don’t know him like I’m sure you do.” Lady Beth turned to face him fully, and he met her gaze cautiously. “As I said, I mean both of you no harm. I would simply rather learn the truth rather than whatever the others have been speculating.”

Thor found himself at a loss for words. He swallowed, thinking over his words carefully. Part of him wanted to respond to Lady Beth with anger, to expel the frustration and pain he felt because of Loki’s actions against him and Asgard. Another part of him wanted to share the grief he had felt thinking his brother was dead, the shocked relief at finding him alive, the whirlwind of emotions when he learned of his plans with Earth.

Instead, he said, “My brother is not evil.” The words surprised him, even more so when he realized that they were true. With a veritable whirlwind of emotions swirling in his mind, he continued, “He is misguided, yes, and he has done terrible things, and he  _ wants _ to do many worse things, but he is not evil.

“All I want is to bring him home,” Thor finished. “Where he belongs. He will face Asgardian justice for what he has done, of course, but the important thing is that he will be  _ home _ .”

Lady Beth was quiet for a moment, her expression thoughtful. Finally, she said, “Then I will do whatever I can to ensure that happens as soon as possible.”

Thor blinked at her in confusion and surprise. “... Even after all he has done to this world?”

“Well, I trust that you know him better than we do,” Lady Beth said. “I trust that your people will judge him fairly for his crimes and that he will receive a fair punishment. Besides…” She trailed off. “He should be home, as you said. Where he belongs.”

Thor simply stared at Lady Beth for a long moment, and despite himself, he felt a grateful smile spreading across his face. He turned to face her fully and pulled her into a hug. She stiffened slightly, clearly surprised by the gesture, but soon she relaxed. He felt her rest her hands on his back, returning the embrace and offering what comfort she could.

“Thank you,” he murmured, voice thick with emotion. He pulled back, hands still resting on her forearms.

Lady Beth’s cheeks were flushed with embarrassment as she smiled back at him. “Of course,” she said, voice cracking only slightly. “It’s… it’s the least I can do.”

She cleared her throat then, averting her gaze. Thor took no offense and returned to their earlier position, her hand tucked securely in the crook of his arm.

“I apologize if I made you uncomfortable,” he told her.

Lady Beth seemed to recover then, and she shook her head. “You didn’t make me uncomfortable,” she assured him. “It’s just… as I said, I am not used to such gestures.” She shot him a nervous smile.

“Would you like to return to the laboratory?” Thor asked.

“Not just yet,” Lady Beth hummed. “I think I would like to walk a little longer.” Her expression turned playful, then, as she changed the subject quickly.

“Besides, if you wouldn’t mind sharing, I would certainly like to hear more about this brother of yours. He seems like he must have been quite the handful when you two were children.”

Thor chuckled. “I believe we both were, in our own way.”

The two spent the next hour walking together around the airship, talking together and just enjoying each other’s company.

Thor certainly hadn’t expected any of this, especially not this conversation with Lady Beth, but as they walked he realized that was not necessarily a bad thing.

It seemed that Lady Beth would make a fine companion indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole AU is just an excuse to make all my faves be friends with each other ngl


	4. Toni Stark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, gang! Another day, another chapter! I didn't expect to get this one done so quickly, as I've been swamped with assignments lately (gotta love college!), but I rewarded myself with a little for-fun writing after finishing my last paper and it got a bit out of hand, haha.
> 
> Anyway! I'm not,,, 100% happy with how this chapter turned out, but it's also my favorite so far and I had a lot of fun writing it, if that makes any sense at all haha. I had a bit of trouble wrangling Toni, but I tried my best ^^" Also, Bruce makes another appearance! He's still stressed and a little grumpy, but he's Here.
> 
> Also, one last thing: yes, Beth is lying about what happened to Anakin, but I'm basing this off my personal headcanon that Obi-Wan views Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker as separate entities. Vader may not have literally killed Anakin, but by the time of their big climactic battle, the Anakin she knew was dead and gone.

It was something that’d been bothering Toni since the strange woman first made her appearance.

With the others that were chosen for the Avengers Initiative, Toni at least knew who they were, had heard of their exploits in one way or another. She knew what to _expect._ With Keegan, she had almost nothing. Even Romanoff and Barton had footage of them in action at the very least, but all Keegan had was a footnote.

So, the moment she was able to, Toni went digging for information. It was practically child’s play to break into SHIELD’s encrypted files--Toni made a mental note to let Fury know that he had some _pretty big holes_ in his system--and from there it was a matter of finding Keegan’s file among the dozens upon dozens of agents SHIELD had in their employ. With the help of JARVIS, that too was easily accomplished.

Toni knew she was snooping, that Keegan would probably be furious with her when she found out, but she hardly cared. After all, Keegan was the one who chose to work with SHIELD, so as far as Toni was concerned the other woman couldn’t be trusted yet. Besides, she didn’t like surprises, not in situations as delicate as this one, and she wanted to know what-- _who_ \--she was working with.

It took some time to decrypt the file, even with all of JARVIS’s energy directed towards it, but when it was finally unveiled she immediately pulled it up on her StarkPad, uncaring that Bruce was right there with her in the lab. He didn’t seem interested, though, happy to mind his own business.

The file was pretty bare, but what was there sent Toni’s mind into a whirlwind.

Beth Keegan was a 37-year-old trans woman--guess they had _that_ in common, Toni thought with a hum--living in a small apartment in Brooklyn, New York with two children. She had been working for SHIELD for two years. Notable abilities included telekinesis, telepathy, increased strength and agility, and specialized combat training. Clearance level seven.

Beyond that, there was nothing. No history, no known aliases, no footage or images aside from a single scan of a company-issued ID. Toni furrowed her brow in frustration and confusion. Just then, JARVIS spoke through her earpiece.

“Miss,” he said, “I have completed the additional background check you requested on Agent Keegan.” Right on time. A grin spread across her face--JARVIS always came through for her.

Toni pulled up the information next to the SHIELD file and frowned when she saw how bare this one was as well--JARVIS found hardly more than a driver’s license. Sure, there was definitive proof that Beth existed, legally speaking, but there was very little actual information, and none of it was _new_.

“Is this all there is?” she murmured, low so Bruce couldn’t hear.

“I am afraid so,” JARVIS confirmed. “However, I have noticed something I believe you will find interesting, Miss.” He paused, as if for dramatic effect. “Based on my analysis, it seems that these documents are forgeries. Skilled ones, certainly, but forgeries nonetheless.”

Well. _That_ was definitely something.

Before Toni could ask JARVIS for details and dig even deeper, Keegan walked into the lab. She had a pleasant expression on her face, hands clasped behind her back, and looked around the lab with obvious interest. _Perfect._

“Agent Keegan!” Toni cried, flashing a charismatic, disarming grin as she walked over to Beth. “Just the woman I wanted to see.” Though Beth was a good few inches taller than her, Toni slung an arm over her shoulders and held up the tablet for her to see.

Keegan stiffened, clearly caught off guard. She looked back and forth between the tablet and Toni, eyes growing wide as she realized what she was looking at. Rather than the anger Toni was expecting, though, she saw genuine _fear_ in those blue-grey eyes.

“What is this?” Keegan asked, voice wavering with unease.

“Well,” Toni began, her smile never once faltering, “you see, I’ve been doing a bit of research, and I noticed something _real_ funny. Seems SHIELD doesn’t know much about you, which normally I wouldn’t be too surprised about, but these people seem to pride themselves on knowing everything about everyone, especially those working for them.”

“They never asked,” Keegan said weakly. She made no move to pull away, though, so Toni soldiered on.

“Sure,” she said, voice dripping with sarcasm, “but, funny enough, I couldn’t find much about you when I did a background check _outside_ of SHIELD either! And what I could find, well, it seems like those are forgeries!”

Toni’s smile was sharp enough to wound when she turned her head to face Keegan fully now. Keegan was staring at her in shock, but she could see now that the anger she had been expecting was starting to build. It was subtle, but it was there. After a moment, Keegan looked away and closed her eyes, taking a breath as if to steady herself.

“I’ll cut to the chase,” Toni drawled, keeping her eyes locked on Keegan’s face as the other woman turned to face her. “What are you running from?”

“Leave her alone, Stark,” Bruce bit out suddenly. Toni shot him a glance to see that he was standing stiffly a few feet away, an irritated expression on his face. She found she couldn’t tell if he was irritated on Keegan’s behalf, or if it was simply because the confrontation was disturbing his peace.

“Oh, Brucie-” she started, only to be cut off by Keegan suddenly pulling away from her. Immediately, Toni backed away, ready to summon the armor and defend herself if necessary.

But when she looked at Keegan’s face, the anger was gone. Instead, she saw a wary sort of determination.

“I don’t believe that is any of your business,” Keegan said, clearly trying to keep her voice level. She took another deep, steadying breath and turned to leave. When Toni spoke again, however, she paused.

“I think it is,” Toni replied firmly, crossing her arms and glancing back and forth between Keegan and Bruce before finally settling her gaze on the former. “If you’re running from something big that could put this whole thing in jeopardy, I think we deserve to know.” She could feel Bruce’s eyes on her, but she kept her gaze on Keegan’s back.

Keegan was quiet for a long moment before she turned around. Her expression was carefully neutral, but the furrow in her brow betrayed her unease. She crossed her arms and let out a shaky sigh.

“You’re right,” she said. “I have not been… entirely honest with all of you.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Toni quipped. Keegan didn’t acknowledge the interruption, but Bruce shot Toni a sharp glance. Once again, Toni ignored him.

“I… I am running from something,” Keegan sighed. “And, truthfully, I can’t tell you whether it will be a threat to this operation, or to any of you.”

“What is it?” Toni asked. Keegan hesitated. Toni rolled her eyes and said, “Look, you don’t have to tell us everything, but we deserve to know what’s going on.’

Keegan was quiet for a moment, then she let out a defeated sigh and nodded. She lifted her head to meet Toni’s gaze.

“Six years ago,” she began, “my brother and his wife were killed. In her dying words to me, his wife asked me to protect their newborn children.” Her shoulders slumped slightly. “If… If the ones who killed them find them, those children will die.”

“Why join SHIELD then?” Toni prodded. “Why join the Avengers? This isn’t exactly a low-profile gig--you’re not exactly lying low here.”

“SHIELD has promised me that they will protect the children if I work with them,” Keegan said simply. “I don’t… I don’t know how they found me, but they gave me this life, this identity. Without them, I don’t think we would have survived.”

Toni did not like what she was hearing. She shifted, shooting a glance in Bruce’s direction. He had a look of dawning understanding on his face, though he was clearly trying to mask it with an irritated frown. It didn’t work.

“So…” Toni began slowly, “SHIELD’s making you work with them in exchange for keeping the kids safe? And they’re the ones who set you up with all this?” Keegan nodded mutely.

“I know SHIELD is not actively putting them in harm’s way,” she said, “but if I don’t work with them then they will withdraw their support and the protection they’ve provided.”

Toni definitely didn’t like this. “So why did you agree to join the Avengers then? Is that part of the deal?” Again, Keegan nodded, then shifted slightly.

“All I want is to keep them safe,” she said, the words hanging heavily on the air. “Whatever SHIELD asks of me, I’ll do it. I have no other choice.”

“Right…” Toni cleared her throat. “Beth--can I call you Beth? I’m calling you Beth--level with me here. Can we trust you?”

“What do you mean?” Beth asked.

“Can we trust that, if things go sour, you won’t just grab the kids and run, SHIELD be damned?” Toni’s expression was deathly serious as she met Beth’s eyes.

Beth’s gaze didn’t waver as she replied, “Yes. Regardless of why I am here, you can trust me. I won’t abandon this team. This world is in danger, and we all need to work together to protect it.”

Toni grinned again, and she crossed the distance between her and Beth to pat the other woman’s back. To her credit, Beth didn’t flinch away. “That’s what I like to hear,” she said. Then, she added, “Though, you might want to talk to whoever set you up with this new identity about adding a bit more to your files. Make things a little more realistic.”

Beth smiled thinly back at her. “I’ll make sure to do that,” she said drily.

Toni clapped her hands together and walked back to where she’d been working before, setting her StarkPad down and pulling up another screen. She looked back up at Beth, face curious.

“So what brings you down here?” she asked breezily as if the previous conversation hadn’t happened. “Are you here to help or to ogle?”

“Well, I was hoping to talk,” Beth explained, “but I suppose we’ve already done just that.” She cleared her throat, looking a little uncomfortable. A bit too quickly, she added, “I think I’ll take my leave, though, and leave you two to your work.”

Toni waved her off. “Go ahead.” She was absorbed in the data passing by on the screen before her, and she hardly noticed as Beth stiffly ducked out of the lab.

For a moment, the two scientists were quiet. Then, Bruce spoke.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Bruce said. Toni looked up at him and winked.

“Hey, I was just curious,” she said.

“You couldn’t have satisfied your curiosity somewhere else?” he griped as he went back to his own work. Toni snorted and shot him a grin, though she didn’t reply. Instead, she quietly pulled up Beth’s SHIELD file on her screen.

“JARVIS,” she murmured, “we’ve got some work to do.”

“Of what kind, Miss?” JARVIS asked.

“We’re doing a little negotiating,” Toni replied, smirking to herself as her mind whirled with possibilities.

Now that her curiosity was sated in regards to Beth Keegan, she had a new goal in mind.

One way or another, Toni was getting Beth out of this deal with SHIELD.


	5. Clint Barton

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this chapter sure fought me every goddamn step of the way! So, fun story, this was originally going to be Natasha's chapter, but while I was writing I realized that, the way I set it up, it'd work better thematically to have Natasha's be the last one (aside from the not-so-secret seventh chapter, at least). So, sorry, Nat, I love you, but you'll have to wait a little longer.
> 
> So, I've had this chapter in mind since I first came up with this AU back in 2016, and I'm very excited to finally write it. It got away from me a little, but I'm happy with where it went. I hope you like it, too <33
> 
> (Also, yeah, I know it'd be a bit strange for Beth to know about Clint's family when the rest of the Avengers don't until AoU, but HEY it's an AU so I'm making some changes, haha. Now, did she actually overhear it or did she go snooping? You decide.)

Clint didn’t like to think about his time under Loki’s control.

He remembered what had happened, how the god had taken hold of his strings and controlled him like a puppet. He remembered what he’d done--what he’d been made to do. He remembered feeling out of control of his own body, of his own mind.

It was a surreal experience, knowing he couldn’t trust himself, knowing that the others couldn’t trust  _ him _ . After all, who was to say that Loki wouldn’t regain control of him? Who was to say that Nat knocking him on the head like that was enough to snap him out of it for good?

These were the thoughts swirling in his mind like a whirlpool as he lay in the infirmary, cuffed to a bed. For his own sake, they’d said, but he knew they were more concerned about him hurting the others than himself.

Nat had stepped out for a minute, leaving him alone to fight the tide that threatened to pull him down and drown him all over again.

The door to the infirmary opened, and he was startled out of his thoughts. Assuming it was Nat coming back to talk to him again, he didn’t look up as footsteps approached him. It was only when a voice spoke, lilting and teasing, that he turned his head.

“You look like you’ve seen better days.”

Standing there was an agent he recognized immediately, and his heart sank slightly in his chest. Keegan.

Clint didn’t have anything against Keegan if he was honest with himself--he’d worked with her on a few occasions, and he knew she was a capable, reliable agent. He’d even go so far as to say she was nice, pleasant to work with, and maybe even a friend. The problem was that he knew what she was capable of. He’d seen her file, after all.

Keegan had a soft smile on her face as she approached. She had a bruise forming on her face and a split lip, but otherwise, she looked remarkably unharmed considering what had happened. Maybe she just got lucky, or maybe she’d already been patched up. In her hands, she was holding a bottle of water.

“Agent Romanoff had to talk to Agent Hill,” she explained. “She asked me to come check on you.” Clint didn’t reply.

Keegan’s smile faltered slightly, but there was a look of open concern in her eyes that made Clint uncomfortable. She seemed to accept quickly enough that he wasn’t going to respond and walked over, unscrewing the bottle.

“Would you like some water?” she asked. Once again, he didn’t reply, continuing to look up at her warily. She furrowed her brow slightly and set the bottle down on the small table next to his bed. Then, she took a seat in the plastic chair next to him.

“I understand if you don’t want to talk after what you’ve been through,” she began, and Clint looked away from her. He didn’t like the look in her eyes. “You don’t have to answer me if you don’t want to--I only want to make sure you’re alright.”

For a long moment, they were both quiet. Then, taking a quiet breath, Clint looked up at her.

“How many agents died?” he asked. He had to know. Nat wouldn’t answer him, but he had to know.

“Some,” Keegan answered, “but not as many as you may think.” Clint clenched his fists. Before he could speak, she continued. “It’s not your fault, Agent Barton. You weren’t in control.”

Clint couldn’t help himself--he let out a harsh bark of laughter. “It was still me who did it,” he said. “It was my body. I’m the last thing they saw before they died.” His voice broke at the end and he tried to lift his hands to wipe at his eyes, only to be reminded that he was cuffed.

Keegan was quiet as she studied him. When she spoke again, her voice was surprisingly firm.

“Agent Barton,” she said, “you  _ weren’t in control _ . It may have been your body, yes, but it was not your mind. No one would hold what happened against you.” She shifted slightly, crossing her long legs. “You are not to blame for what happened today, or for anything Loki made you do.” He supposed she had a point, but that didn’t make him feel any better.

“How do you know it won’t happen again?” he asked before he could stop himself, looking up to meet her eyes. “How… how do you know Loki still isn’t in control?”

Keegan hesitated briefly before she answered with a wry smile. “The fact that you’re even asking me that question tells me you’re the one in control now.”

Somehow, Clint still didn’t feel better. His voice was bitter as he asked, “Does it ever stop? Or will I just have Loki in my head forever?”

Keegan paused, letting out a soft sigh. “It will eventually,” she said. “I’m afraid I don’t know how long it will take, and the scars may never truly fade, but I promise you that you won’t have to live with this forever.” She glanced down at her hands, then back up at Clint.

“Would you like me to undo the cuffs?” she asked. Clint gave her an incredulous look. Was she being serious?

“You know why they’re there,” he said. “How do you know I won’t hurt you the moment I’m able to?”

Keegan smiled gently and replied, “I trust you not to. Now, do you want me to? I won’t take this choice away from you, Agent Barton.”

Clint thought about it for a moment, staring down at his hands. He didn’t want to hurt Keegan, knew he wouldn’t as long as he was in control, but that was the thing, wasn’t it? Her trust in him was terrifying. He couldn’t even trust himself anymore, so why did she trust him?

Finally, though, he nodded. Agent Keegan got to her feet and undid the cuffs holding him to the bed. Her touch was achingly gentle, as though she was afraid if she pressed too hard he would break. And maybe he would.

As she moved to pull her hands away, to go back to sitting in the chair next to the bed, Clint sat up and rubbed his wrist absently.

“Why do you trust me so easily?” he asked, not meeting her eyes and instead staring down at his hands. Hands that had caused so much death in such a short period of time. “How do you know it won’t happen again?”

Keegan was quiet. Then, she asked, “Do you feel like you’re in control?” Clint turned his head to look at her, and he saw that she was regarding him with a serious expression.

“I don’t know anymore,” he admitted softly.

“It’ll take time,” Keegan told him, “as I said, but I promise you won’t feel this way forever. You will regain control, Agent Barton.”

“You’re putting an awful lot of faith in me right now,” he said drily. He smirked at her, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “What, do you have experience with this or something?”

Something flashed in Keegan’s eyes and she nodded solemnly. Clint’s smirk fell.

Oh.

“Not directly,” she explained, “so I can’t say that I understand what you’re going through, but… I know some who have.”

Clint thought about what he’d read in Keegan’s file, back when she was first recruited to SHIELD two years ago. He knew she was capable of telepathy, that she could reach into another person’s mind and twist them up if she wanted, make them do what she wanted. He’d never actually seen her use these abilities, but knowing she was capable of the same thing Loki had done to him…

“Have you ever done it?” he asked before he could stop himself. Keegan looked at him in confusion. “Used those powers of yours to control someone, I mean.”

She paused for a moment, clearly thinking over how she should answer the question. Finally, she spoke.

“I have,” she said. “Not to the extent that Loki has, and never for very long, but I have.”

Clint snorted and ran a hand through his short brown hair. “And that’s supposed to make me feel better, right? You’re one of the  _ good _ mind-controllers, and you won’t do that to  _ me _ .” His voice was sharp and bitter, his sarcasm the only thing keeping him from drowning.

Keegan didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, she said, “I won’t, Clint.” The use of his first name caught his attention and he looked at her, a wild sort of fear in his eyes. He felt frayed at the edges like the smallest spark could start a fire and burn him to the ground.

She met his eyes, and though he saw worry there, open concern that felt better than he deserved, he saw no pity.

“I promise you, I will never violate your trust and take away your ability to choose,” she told him, voice solemn and serious. “I know you have no reason to trust my word, but I would never do that to you, or anyone on this team.”

Clint’s hands began to shake and he clenched them into fists to make them stop. He looked away from Keegan, not wanting to see the gentle worry in those eyes anymore. After a long moment, Keegan got to her feet.

“I believe Agent Romanoff will be returning soon,” she said. “I will leave you in peace.”

Before she could leave, before he could even think about it, his hand lunged out and grabbed her wrist. She froze, but when he looked up he saw no fear in her expression. At most, she was startled, but she wasn’t afraid of him. Even seeing firsthand what he’d d--what Loki had made him do, she wasn’t afraid.

It was almost enough to make Clint cry out in relief.

“Stay,” he said instead, voice just a tinge desperate. “At… at least until she comes back. I don’t want to be alone again.” He couldn’t be alone with his thoughts, with the whirlpool that threatened to drown him.

Keegan’s eyes softened in understanding and she nodded, taking a seat next to his bed again. Clint let go of her wrist, and she folded her hands in her lap.

“I’ll stay,” she agreed. “As long as you want me to.”

They were quiet again until Keegan spoke once more.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” she began, “I heard you have a family--would you mind telling me about them?”

Clint could tell she was trying to distract him, to give him something to latch onto to keep him from floating away. Instead of calling her out, though, he just smiled.

“Well, have you been digging around in SHIELD’s files?” he asked, voice teasing. She chuckled.

“I overheard another agent mention it,” she explained. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to; I’m only curious.”

“Nah, it’s fine.” Clint shifted. “Let’s see… where do I begin?”

And that was how Nat found them when she returned ten or so minutes later, talking in low voices and simply enjoying the comfort each other’s presence brought.


	6. Natasha Romanoff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, another day, another chapter that fought me every step of the way! Though, this time it's mainly because I've always had a really hard time getting a handle on Natasha as a character. She's definitely a complicated woman, and I can only hope I did her justice. (Also also, I genuinely don't know if her surname is Romanoff or Romanov. I've seen a lot of conflicting sources, but I figure I'll just go with Romanoff because that's what I used in the Clint chapter.)
> 
> With that, we've completed the original Avengers! Now all that's left is the not-so-secret chapter seven, featuring a character that probably won't be TOO surprising. I wanted to thank you all for the support on this series; I genuinely really appreciate all the kind comments and kudos, and I want y'all to know that I never would've finished it without your support <33
> 
> Also, as a note, I realize it might seem a bit strange that Beth isn't taking her lightsaber to battle and is instead bringing a staff, but for this AU I personally headcanon that she wouldn't want to use her lightsaber unless absolutely necessary, because she's trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible. That, and I feel like she wouldn't want SHIELD to know about it, as even though she's working with them she doesn't quite trust them yet. Plus, I think the idea of her fighting with a staff is pretty cool.

Natasha was intrigued by Agent Beth Keegan from the moment she first read the name in the files for the Avengers Initiative.

She’d known about Keegan beforehand, even worked with her once or twice, but she hadn’t expected her to be chosen for the program. From what she knew, Keegan was a rather unassuming woman who made an effort to blend in with the crowd. Despite her skills and high clearance level, Keegan just didn’t stand out from other SHIELD agents.

Perhaps that was by design. Natasha certainly knew a thing or two about putting on a front.

When Natasha spotted the name in the file, she knew she had to know more. Rather than confront Keegan directly, however, Natasha decided the best way to learn more was to watch and wait. After all, as a spy, her observational skills were one of her sharpest assets.

And so, Natasha watched.

She watched as Keegan and the others formed an uncertain yet steady camaraderie, born out of necessity more than anything. Watched as, one by one, they grew to accept and even like her.

Something that became clearer and clearer as Natasha watched her was that Keegan was hiding. Just as she’d suspected, Keegan was putting on a front, deliberately making herself as unobtrusive as possible to keep others from noticing her or looking too deeply if they _did_ notice.

Natasha was curious. She couldn’t help it, especially not when so much was on the line. Natasha was certain that Keegan was not a threat, but nevertheless, she had to know more. Had to know what was haunting her, what was driving her to hide away from the world.

Eventually, it became clear that, if she wanted to know, Natasha would have to talk to Keegan directly. And it wasn’t long before she got her chance to be alone with the other agent. They were suiting up together in the locker rooms, preparing to ride out on the jet with Rogers and Clint to face whatever was waiting for them in New York.

There wasn’t much time, Natasha knew very well, but she couldn’t pass up an opportunity like this.

“Are you ready?” she asked as casually as she could manage, glancing over at her teammate.

Keegan had changed into an outfit similar to her own, a thick black material that would shield her body while offering maximum mobility. She had a long staff with her, strapped to her back, and two SHIELD-issue handguns at her sides. When Natasha spoke, she glanced up, a rueful sort of smile on her face.

“As I’ll ever be, I suppose,” she said. “Are you?”

“As I’ll ever be,” Natasha agreed. Deliberately keeping her tone light and pleasant, she then added, “I don’t think any of us really are, though; hard to be ready for something like an alien invasion.” Keegan chuckled.

“I suppose not,” she hummed.

For a moment, the two women were quiet. Then, Keegan spoke again.

“I know you’ve been watching me, Agent Romanoff,” she said, her tone as casual and neutral as Natasha’s had been. Natasha froze in the middle of lacing up her boots, but otherwise, she refused to show any weakness or signs of being startled. She said nothing, simply looking at Keegan over her shoulder.

“I understand you have your concerns,” Keegan continued, idly checking her guns to make sure they were loaded. There was a strange furrow to her brow as she looked at the weapons, as though she was unused to them and was trying to figure them out. “But, I assure you that I am no threat to you or anyone on this team.”

“That’s not why I was watching you,” Natasha said, throwing all pretense aside. No point in playing dumb--it would be a disservice to them both. May as well be blunt and get to the point. “You’re running from something.”

It was Keegan’s turn to stiffen. Natasha narrowed her eyes slightly and straightened, turning to face the scarred woman fully.

“How-” Keegan choked out, looking the perfect picture of a frightened animal caught in a cage. She swallowed, clearing her throat and holstering the handguns. “How can you tell?”

“You’re not as subtle as you think you are,” Natasha explained. Keegan was silent. “I know a thing or two about secrets, Agent Keegan. I can tell when someone’s keeping them.”

Keegan chuckled, though there was no humor to the sound. “And you’d like to know what secrets I’m keeping?” she asked. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you, but I promise you that none of my secrets will jeopardize this mission or put any of you in danger.”

“You sure seem interested in making sure none of us see you as a threat,” Natasha pointed out. Before Keegan could respond, she added, “Now, let me make it clear: I know you’re not a threat. But it makes me wonder, and I’m sure I’m not alone in that.”

Keegan was quiet again, avoiding Natasha’s gaze. There was a distant sort of sadness in the other woman’s eyes, in the clench of her jaw, in the way she stared down at her hands as though they were stained. Finally, she spoke.

“I can’t tell you,” she breathed, defeated. “I… I can’t.” Despite herself, Natasha’s expression softened slightly. 

“I’m not asking you to tell me everything,” Natasha assured her.

“Then what _do_ you want?” Keegan asked, looking up at Natasha with a desperate determination that Natasha knew very well. The look of someone determined to hold onto their secrets until their last breath.

The look of someone with more on the line than just themself.

Natasha certainly knew what that was like, she realized as she met Keegan’s eyes. Perhaps they had more in common than she initially thought.

“The truth,” she said simply. “I just want the truth.”

For a long moment, Keegan was quiet once more, clearly trying to decide what she should say. Eventually, she sighed, rubbing at her eyes with one of her hands.

“My people were at war,” she began, voice distant and thick with emotion as she avoided Natasha’s eyes. “We’d been fighting for years, far longer than anyone thought we would, and yet things only grew worse and worse.” She swallowed, clearly hesitating.

“I was a general,” she continued after a brief pause. “Again and again, I led my people into war, and again and again I had to watch as they were slaughtered. I lost a lot of people I cared about, and I know I’m not alone in that.” She fell quiet. “Too many people died… too many innocents.”

“War is terrible,” Natasha hummed, feeling distinctly uncomfortable. Keegan snorted, a bitter smile on her face.

“It certainly is,” she agreed, then fell quiet. For a long moment, she just stared sightlessly into space. Then, she spoke again.

“My… my brother,” she said, voice strained as her smile fell. “I don’t know what happened, not entirely, but he turned on us. He killed so many innocent people, so many _children_ …” She ran a hand over her face and swallowed again. “I had to confront him, and… in the end, I had to kill him.”

The words hung heavy on the air, neither woman willing to break the silence that followed. Natasha was stunned, but she kept her face carefully neutral as she studied Keegan. Inside, though, her mind was spinning.

In hindsight, it made sense, in a way, that Keegan carried something so heavy on her shoulders.

It took one to know one, after all, even if the circumstances weren’t exactly the same.

“I’m sorry,” Natasha said eventually. Keegan looked up at her, confusion plain on her face. “For your loss, I mean.” The words felt clumsy on Natasha’s tongue, unused to comforting others as she was. Thankfully, though, Keegan didn’t call her on it.

Keegan smiled ruefully. “I appreciate it,” she said. Her smile fell and she looked down again. “I know it’s unrealistic, but I can’t stop thinking that maybe if I’d looked closer, maybe if I hadn’t been so absorbed in the war effort, maybe if I’d been there for him… maybe I could’ve saved him. I could’ve stopped him.”

“Thinking like that doesn’t help anyone,” Natasha told her. “I… I understand it’s not that easy, but there’s nothing we can do to change the past.” She thought of all the people she’d killed before she joined SHIELD, and even afterward. All the innocent blood that stained her hands.

When she’d told Loki that she had red in her ledger, she hadn’t been kidding. Sometimes, it felt like all she could do was keep her head up and keep moving, or else she’d drown in the blood she’d shed. Though she had no way of knowing for sure, in that moment she knew Keegan had to feel the same way.

“True,” Keegan sighed. She glanced back up at Natasha, and though she was several inches shorter than Keegan, Natasha suddenly felt as if Keegan were small, fragile as glass, yet strong in a way Natasha understood all too well.

“I won’t pretend to understand how you’re feeling,” Natasha said, “but… I know what it’s like, to have blood on your hands that won’t go away no matter how hard you scrub.” She shifted slightly, leaning back against one of the lockers. “Before I joined SHIELD, I was an assassin. I killed dozens of people, both innocent and not.”

Understanding dawned in Keegan’s eyes and she nodded. Then, she chuckled humorlessly. “Seems we both have our demons,” she remarked.

“Seems we do,” Natasha agreed with a humorless chuckle of her own.

Another moment of quiet passed, but this time Keegan was the one to break the silence.

“I think we’ll be leaving soon,” she said, glancing towards the door to the locker room. “We should head out; don’t want to keep the others waiting.”

Natasha nodded, straightening up. She kept her eyes on Keegan’s face, and before the other woman could leave the room, she spoke.

“I won’t tell the others,” Natasha said quickly. Keegan glanced back at her, and she continued, “I think they deserve to know, but… I won’t tell them. I’ll leave it up to you.”

Keegan smiled softly at her, clearly relieved. “Thank you, Agent Romanoff. I appreciate it.” She paused, then, and added, “I hope you can find some peace soon.”

Natasha blinked, a little surprised at the words. She recovered quickly enough, though, and she nodded, offering Keegan a smile of her own.

“I hope you can, too,” she said. Keegan nodded at her in turn, then jerked her head towards the door, a playful smirk on her face.

“Well, let’s get a move on,” Keegan said. “We’ve got a city to save.”

Natasha smirked back at her and nodded, and with that the two women left the locker room together, their shoulders a little lighter than before.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this <3
> 
> Come talk to me on tumblr! https://multi-lefaiye.tumblr.com/


End file.
